Toyota is one of the world’s most popular automakers, but that doesn’t mean the brand succeeds with every car. That’s why Toyota recently discontinued the Avalon and replaced its flagship full-size sedan with the Crown. The 2023 Toyota Crown sales show that it’s experiencing some of the same issues as the Avalon despite being all-new and boasting a unique crossover-style design.

Here’s what Toyota Crown sales look like so far

Because the Toyota Crown is new, not much sales data is available. Toyota only began selling the car in America in mid-February 2023, and the Crown didn’t sell many units until March. In that month, the Japanese auto giant sold just over 1,300 units. In April, that figure jumped to over 1,900, GoodCarBadCar reports. 

That’s a monthly increase of about 600 units, a nearly 44% gain. So far this year, Toyota has sold just over 3,300 Crown sedans.

That number doesn’t even put the car in the top 20 sedans. For comparison, this year, Toyota’s more popular sedans — the Camry and Corolla — have sold 94,000 and 60,000 units, respectively. The Crown’s 3,300 figure is comparable to sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Toyota GR86.

The 2023 Toyota Crown needs time to catch on with consumers

The Toyota Crown’s year-to-date sales are worse than the Toyota Avalon’s last year. That isn’t a huge surprise for two reasons. First, because 2022 was the Avalon’s last year, shoppers on the fence about buying a new model might have committed to it. Second, Toyota moved a few units of the car this past January and February.

Because the Crown wasn’t available in January 2023 and only a couple dozen were sold in February, the Avalon had more time to sell. As a result, Toyota moved about 3,800 Avalon cars in the first four months of 2022, more than what the Crown has sold this year.

However, there could be other reasons for the lack of interest. Although both are midsize cars, the Crown costs more than the Avalon. The new car starts at $39,950, and the 2022 Avalon, its final model year, retailed for around $38,000 — almost $2,000 less. In addition, the differences in the two models’ specs and features could affect consumers’ decisions.

Still, the Crown will likely surpass the Avalon because it’s already beating the retired sedan in April sales. Right now, the new car needs time to be marketed, as most consumers might not be aware of it. That said, those numbers aren’t too telling — what will matter more is how the Crown will perform in the long run.

In the end, it might never be a hit

Like most discontinued cars, the Toyota Avalon got killed because of poor sales. Toyota’s flagship sedan peaked early in its life, selling over 100,000 units in 2000. That was the only year it saw six-figure sales. But it got close a few times, such as in 2005 when 95,000 units were sold. 

The Avalon sold progressively worse every year. In 2021, the car’s last full year, Toyota moved only about 18,000 units. The new model could suffer the same fate because the Crown replaced the Avalon in the brand’s sedan lineup.